Willie Nelson’s Son, Lukas Autry Nelson, is a powerhouse musician in his own right. He has been taking fans by storm ever since he came into the music scene with his band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. His vibrant vocal talent has definitely captured plenty of attention, and no one can deny how it bears a striking resemblance to his father’s gritty voice.
Let’s get to know more about this talented artist below.
1.Born on Christmas Day in 1988, Lukas Nelson is now 32 years old. He is Willie Nelson‘s first child with his fourth wife, Annie D’Angelo – though he’s the sixth among Nelson’s seven children.
2. Although he was born in Austin, Texas, Lukas grew up on the north shore of Maui, Hawaii – where his father bought some beachfront property “in a sleepy little town called Paia.”
And Lukas’ mother thought it would be such a nice place to raise her son. With people in Austin treating Willie Nelson as some sort of a “king,” she did not want Lukas to grow up thinking he was a “prince” – which Lukas appreciates a lot today.
3. Being a country legend’s son, Lukas fell in love with music at a young age. He started playing the guitar to get along better with his hard-touring father. When he was thirteen, he had already joined his father’s band. He would go on tours as Willie Nelson’s rhythm guitarist and to also learn the stagecraft.
4. He grew up being friends with some of the most famous singers in the industry. His father is actually good friends with Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Neil Young, and so much more.
5. Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan actually once offered him a job to go on the road in 2004. However, his mother had forbidden it as she wanted him to finish his studies.
6. According to Lukas, he did not have a life when he was in high school. “I didn’t try to go to parties. I never even drank until college. I didn’t have a girlfriend until I was 17. I was really a late bloomer,” he said, adding that he would practice the guitar for up to eight hours every day.
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7. He went to Loyola Marymount University in 2007 – where he met drummer Anthony LoGerfo; however, he dropped out of college in 2008.
8. A dream actually once helped Lukas overcome his stage fright. When he was only six years old, he dreamed of being on the stage, extremely terrified. Though he wanted to sing, he was so frightened to do so. Then, out of nowhere, something told him to shrink all of his conscious awareness into his chest, and he found himself singing, making the crowd wild.
After that dream, Luke no longer fears singing on stage. It was only later in his life that he realized that that dream was sort of a vision. “If you’re ever fearful, go into your heart and come from that place, and that will alleviate the fear,” he said.
9. Lukas Nelson’s ‘A Star Is Born’ involvement is actually more than what you think! Not only did he and his band served as the on-screen backing band for Bradley Cooper’s Jackson Maine, but Lukas actually co-wrote with Cooper for the film and was also the actor’s vocal coach. In one interview, Lukas said that he has stepped back from his lead role and played sideman to other artists – these were no other than Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
10. He’s also appeared in one of his father’s albums. It was in 2012 when the father and son – along with Lukas’ brother Micah – joined forces together for the record Heroes.
11. The song “(Forget About) Georgia” – one of the most heartbreaking Lukas Nelson songs – actually happened in real life. Lukas revealed that he met and fell in love with a girl named Georgia, but they were never really together. Though he admits that it was heartbreaking, he said he learned a lot and grew a lot from that relationship.
12. The pressure of being the son of the country legend was never a burden to Lukas. His parents are very successful in teaching him the value of hard work. “I just think about working hard and writing and being creative,” Lukas said. “Hopefully, everything else just unfolds in its own natural, cosmic way.”
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real were supposed to head out on tour to promote Naked Garden before the pandemic breaks out. Instead, the young Nelson is now hunkered down with his family on Willie Nelson’s ranch outside Austin, Texas. He also revealed that he’s writing music with his father, and that’s definitely something we can all look forward to.
